Cancer Prevention

I prevent cancer for all of the amazing women in my family who devote their lives to helping others. We live in a pink-washed world where breast cancer awareness blankets the United States every October, but every month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month when you have a family history of breast cancer – as I am reminded every time I visit my doctor.
The women in my family are smart, powerful and socially conscious. My mother ...

If you asked, my mom would tell you she’s a simple lady. She likes strong coffee, gardening, running and her Detroit Tigers. She likes good TV, good music and her dog.
This humility doesn’t do justice to the incredible life she’s led. In 1995, when I was not even a year old, my mother was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. She was 34, had no previous family history of the disease and had two small ...

Cancer survivors are often portrayed as heroic, doomed, sweet, patient and forbearing. I was none of these things: when I was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer and told I had a 40 percent chance of living five years, I was not heroic; nor was I afraid. I had a two-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter. I was furious.
I was raised in an era when Betty Ford's disclosure of her breast cancer was controversial (according ...

I'm delighted to be participating in the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s “blog carnival,” where people share their cancer stories, say why they stay healthy and who they prevent cancer for. Great idea – so here goes.
First and foremost, I prevent cancer for me. I try to stay healthy by eating right, getting plenty of exercise, following screening guidelines and knowing my family’s medical history. I also prevent cancer for my son Jake. Too many times I’ve ...